‘My son died because of his friend’s drugs’ says mother of Chippenham man

Mum Elaine Barron, whose son died of a drugs overdose, has spoken of her anger after the man who admitted giving him the MDMA that proved to be fatal walked free from court.

Robbie Day, 35, of The Firs, collapsed in the street outside Superdrug in Chippenham after taking ecstasy with Tristan Wilcox on Saturday, June 1 last year.

He was taken to Great Western Hospital in Swindon where he died a day later of multiple organ failure, brought on by the 2.6mg of the drug found in his system.

In a statement read out at Mr Day’s inquest in Salisbury on Tuesday, Tristan Wilcox said: “It was me who got the drugs for Robbie, and I blame myself for his death. I got him the drugs but he took them of his own free will.”

Assistant coroner Ian Singleton heard it was not until a second statement given to police by Mr Wilcox five months later that he admitted they had both taken MDMA that night. He ruled a verdict of accidental death after hearing that Mr Day, who had suffered mental health problems since childhood, was a regular drinker and often used cannabis and other drugs.

Mr Singleton said: “Robbie had taken ecstasy earlier in the evening, as well as other drugs and alcohol. On the basis of that evidence I believe Robbie’s death was an accident. He voluntarily ingested such a quantity of MDMA he subsequently collapsed in the street and died of an MDMA overdose.”

But Mr Day’s mum Elaine Barron said: “I blame Tristan Wilcox. Rob was vulnerable and very easily led. I didn’t want him to have anything to do with him, I thought ‘he’s going to get Rob into bad things’.

“His sister Natasha told him that night not to go to Tristan’s house, but he said ‘no it’s all right’. But it wasn’t all right.

“If he hadn’t given my son MDMA he would still be with us today. He’s taken something very precious to me and I’ll never get that back.”

The same day he died, police went to search Mr Wilcox’s home in River Parade, Chippenham, and found drugs worth almost £2,500 stashed in his microwave oven.

Wilcox, 35, pleaded guilty at Swindon Crown Court on Friday to two counts of possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

But, after hearing he was keen to beat his addiction, a judge did not jail him. He is to be supervised by the probation service for a year, with a drug rehabilitation requirement.

Mrs Barron, who lives in Pewsham, said that she, Mr Day’s sister Natasha Day and his girlfriend Ella James felt he should not have been allowed free.

She said: “I’m very angry that he’s not gone to prison. I don’t think he thought about the consequences of giving people drugs.”

Comments

Squibble
3:25pm Fri 14 Feb 14

The mother shouldn't blame his friend, because her son took the MDMA of his own free will and was obviously someone who has used it before. I can speak from experience, because in my younger days I used to take MDMA on nights out. First of all it is a social drug, you have to be with other people who are taking it, you never take it on your own! Second he took 2.6 grams of it which is so much. I used to take 0.2g in a timebomb and that would last for 8 hours. The amount he took is insane and only someone who takes it on a regular basis would drop that much as MDMA is powerful stuff. Quite expensive too, his friend wouldn't of just gave away £130 worth of MDMA.

The mother shouldn't blame his friend, because her son took the MDMA of his own free will and was obviously someone who has used it before. I can speak from experience, because in my younger days I used to take MDMA on nights out. First of all it is a social drug, you have to be with other people who are taking it, you never take it on your own! Second he took 2.6 grams of it which is so much. I used to take 0.2g in a timebomb and that would last for 8 hours. The amount he took is insane and only someone who takes it on a regular basis would drop that much as MDMA is powerful stuff. Quite expensive too, his friend wouldn't of just gave away £130 worth of MDMA.Squibble

The mother shouldn't blame his friend, because her son took the MDMA of his own free will and was obviously someone who has used it before. I can speak from experience, because in my younger days I used to take MDMA on nights out. First of all it is a social drug, you have to be with other people who are taking it, you never take it on your own! Second he took 2.6 grams of it which is so much. I used to take 0.2g in a timebomb and that would last for 8 hours. The amount he took is insane and only someone who takes it on a regular basis would drop that much as MDMA is powerful stuff. Quite expensive too, his friend wouldn't of just gave away £130 worth of MDMA.

Score: 20

Darned_peasants
6:25pm Fri 14 Feb 14

So it wasnt the drugs, the combination of drink and drugs that killed ! At least present the facts clear and straight WT !

So it wasnt the drugs, the combination of drink and drugs that killed ! At least present the facts clear and straight WT !Darned_peasants

So it wasnt the drugs, the combination of drink and drugs that killed ! At least present the facts clear and straight WT !

Score: 4

homelygirl1969
4:21pm Wed 19 Feb 14

Irrelevant who gave him the drugs
Nobody made him do it
Plenty people deserve more sympathy
Sorry but he knew what he was doing
Plus alcohol too

Irrelevant who gave him the drugs
Nobody made him do it
Plenty people deserve more sympathy
Sorry but he knew what he was doing
Plus alcohol toohomelygirl1969

Irrelevant who gave him the drugs
Nobody made him do it
Plenty people deserve more sympathy
Sorry but he knew what he was doing
Plus alcohol too

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